Feb 28, 2011

“Any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should 'have his head examined,' as General [Douglas] MacArthur so delicately put it.”

____

We Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan Vets already had that figured out.

Feb 21, 2011

27 million people were murdered by the Axis countries in World War II in addition to those killed in war. The United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia were joined by the USSR, China, and other allies against Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy. Most people believe that the War was necessary and justified.

145 million people were murdered by the Communist countries before and during the Cold War. The United States and Great Britain were joined by our old enemies and other allies against our former allies, the USSR, China, and other Communist countries. Most people believe the Cold War was necessary and justified.

Communism was everywhere on the attack from 1945 to 1985. Communism expanded from Russia into Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Albania, China, Cuba, Czechslovakia, East Germany, Tibet, North Vietnam, North Korea, and a number of other countries. Communists used terrorism, murder and subversion to destabilize countries. Political murder and terrorism was an integral part of “Wars of Liberation.”

3.8 million more people were murdered in South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos when the Cold War went hot. Millions more were imprisoned, enslaved, and ethnically cleansed. Communists used terror and subversion.

The anti war movement changed American policy. They believed that the War was immoral and that the U.S. was there for oil. They contended we were imperialist fascist war mongers. They believed that war is evil and to be avoided at all costs. They considered Ho Chi Minh and Pol Pot as Freedom Fighters. "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh, NLF is sure to Win". They thought Communism was an excellent system and not monolithic. They believed that Communists were fighting for freedom and self determination. They contended that the war in southeast Asia was a civil war.

I believe an individual and a nation must oppose that evil, especially when their avowed policy was to take over the world. We were both moral and right to oppose Hitler, Tojo, Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, and Pol Pot.

We have largely prevailed over Communism. It has been abandoned in Europe. It is liberalizing and improving in Asia. China, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam remain totalitarian police states.

I believe that many of the anti war folks were sincere in their beliefs. And they were successful in their efforts to halt financial and military support for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. But millions of people are dead, tortured, ethnically cleansed and enslaved partly as a result of their success.

Never again. Until the next time.

Photos from the killing fields of Cambodia. Vietnam and Laos were just as bad, but the people who committed the genocide and ethnic cleansing are still in charge and don't publicize what happened after the Communist takeover.

References on Murder

Professor Rudy Rummel of the University of Hawaii has published extensive referenced and documented estimates on murder by government, which he terms democide. The table below summarizes some of his work.

I am by nature a moderate. I care a great deal about political issues, but I am usually in the middle position on most issues. This is partly by nature, and partly by training - I spent 32 years in the Marine Corps Reserve and 35 years as a city planner, and we were always trained to avoid taking sides in politics.

The middle is the "decider" in our political system. Two years ago we leaned left to elect President Obama, and before that we have leaned left or right to elect Republicans and or Democrats. For the most part we are pragmatic, and hope to elect the best person for the job.

But the left and right are vital also for our political system. With passion and conviction they try to convince the country thst it must go right or left or all will be lost.

I hope that we can create a civil and informative dialog on this page. Thanks for participating.

Feb 19, 2011

The United States is frequently charged with resonding to emergencies and requirements to reconstruct areas after disasters and wars. And we are occasionally self tasked with a nation building task such as our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is very difficult and we do not do it very well. The military and various Federal agencies relearn the techniques frequently, throwing untrained people into a very difficult situation and telling them to figure it out on the fly. This is not the way to do it. This is the way we did it in New Orleans. And it is the way we did it in Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, and World War II.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RECONSTRUCTION COMMAND

ERARC

I propose that we create a new major US Military Command that will focus on these important issues. It would be commanded by a four star General and have a large civilian component, including many agencies such as FEMA. This Command would train for emergency response and the nation building mission. It would be the major command for crisis and emergency response.

By creating a Command that focuses on Nation Building we focus full time on these important issues. The Command would train and promote people based on their efforts and expertise in these areas.

Let us examine how we respond to emergencies. The Hurricane in New Orleans is a good example. The local and State response was poor. The Feds came in but were unfocused. It was not clear who was in charge and what they were doing. The new Command would be in charge day one, under the direction of the President.

It would have been the organization leading the rebuilding and development of Afghanistan and Iraq. Rather then tasking the best infantry trained General to do the job we would task a General who was trained and experienced in these important issues.

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.

Rudyard Kipling

I met with a Marine Reserve friend last week. He tells me that some of his fellow Reserve Marines have made three deployments to the Gulf already and are being required to go again. This is very disruptive for them, their families, and their full time civilian jobs.

____________________

I caught a presentation from the U.S. Special Operations Command yesterday on Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan. Pretty tough deal. The gentleman presenting thought they were doing good work, but that Afghanistan is so dysfunctional that nothing very good will result.

The United States helped set up the Afghan Government. It is very centralized with provincial Governors appointed by the central government. Afghanistan is tribal and fights all central authority. Not smart. This would not have been the military's call - sounds like some real smart guys from the State Department from Ivy League schools. Any workable government in a place like Afghanistan should have been a bottom ups democracy. One of these days we must leave.

This long war does not seem to be headed anywhere good. We achieved our goal of stopping terrorist attacks on the United States homeland. The fear is of course if we withdraw from the middle east and then a major terrorist attack on the US homeland results. This keeps us in the war - afraid to leave.

IED toll in Afghanistan reduced by 37 percent

The military has reduced the number of troops wounded or killed by homemade bombs in Afghanistan by 37 percent since August by improving its ability to find the explosives before they blow up.

About one-sixth of the bombs used by insurgents in January ended up wounding or killing troops, compared with the one-quarter of such bombs that caused casualties in August, according to figures from the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, the Pentagon’s agency for combating makeshift bombs.

Feb 15, 2011

The Marine Corps and Navy uses the CH-46 Sea Knight, also called the Frog or Phrog, while the Army uses the larger CH-47 Chinook. Both are fine machines. The Chinook is much larger. The Marine Corps is replacing the Frog with the V-22 Osprey.

I'd like to invite you to join the newest Marine Corps Aviation Association Squadron, Devastate Charlie. I've attached the flyer announcing the squadron and providing instructions for how to join. You'll also learn why we chose to name the squadron Devastate Charlie.

This new squadron's purpose is to honor all those who have served or are serving in the Marine Air Command and Control community, to perpetuate the spirit of brotherhood within that community, and to promote the history of Marine Air Command and Control personnel, agencies, units, and accomplishments.

Our friends at MCAA have promised to have the website ready today, so new members may join and current members may change their affiliation simply by clicking on the join/renew button after following this link: